Tennis: Svitolina claims Taiwan Open title
Elina Svitolina beat Shuai Peng 6-3, 6-2 to win the Taiwan Open crown on Sunday.
TAIPEI (AFP) - Top seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine won the Taiwan Open on Sunday after beating China s Shuai Peng in a convincing victory.
The world ranked number 13 defeated her opponent in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, clinching her fifth WTA singles title.
The Ukrainian, who had been struggling with flu since arriving in Taipei, played a tough quarter-final but breezed through the semi-final Saturday, defeating Luxembourg s Mandy Minella.
Svitolina and Peng had only played each other once before Sunday in the 2014 New Haven Open, when the Chinese emerged victorious.
Peng, ranked 71st, returned to tennis last March after taking a break from playing following an operation for a waist injury in 2015. Peng was ranked 41st in 2014 before her injury.
